Automatic coupling



A. G. WOOD. y AUTOMATIC COUPLING. APPLICATION man :UNE a. um.

l ,306,654. Patented June 1'0, 1919.

q r a 1 v5. ,wei/L- i ATTORNEY A ARTHUR e. wenn, or aocxvrLLE, INDLANAL AUTOMATIC'COUPLING.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. Woon, a

citizen of vthe United States, residin at lO'coupling devices and the primary object is Rockville, in the county of Parke and' tate of Indiana, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Automatic Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to air brake hose to provide an improved device for automatically coupling the end of the air hose between the ends of two railway cars when the l will automatically latter are coupledl together by the usual car couplings.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a coupler of this'character which join together` the complementary members included in the coupler for bringing the air passages into registration whereby the meeting ends of the air hose may be placed into communication witheach other.

A further object is to provide .comple- -mentary pivoted members adapted to be aS- s'ociated in a manner that will prevent accidental or casual disconnection'while the cars are coupled to ether.

A further o' ject of the invention is to provide a device of this character which consists of comparatively few yants and is simple in construction but'dura le and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of thisy character 'are ordinarily subjected.

l'For a full description of the invention and the advantages 'andmerits' thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing the coupler in operatlve position between the ends of two railway cars.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the members showing the position thereof, prior to its connection with the other complementary member.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the two connected members in the positions they assume prior to being moved to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Fig..4 is a perspective view of one of the interlocking members.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention,

` Speeication of Letters Patent. Pajted J 111610, 1919. Application led June 8, 1918. Serial No. 238,912.

in which like-numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the end of the railway cars indicated at A and B are adapted to yreceive and support both of the complementary members which form the coupler. Each complementary or to the bolster at the end thereof, by. re-

taining yokes 2 which permit longitudnal ar.

sliding movement of the retaining coupling member comprises ,aire-v .taimng bar 1 held to the bottom of the car From the inner end of each retaining bar,

having a head 4 surrounding the extension 3 is a coil spring' 6 of the expansion type normally urging the retaining bar outwardly.

1 Laterally spaced ears 7 are provided at the opposite end of the retaining bar `and have centrally located transversely alined openings 8. The separable coupling head '9 comprises two interlocking members, one

of which is shown in detail in Fig. 4 of the drawing. This member preferably consists of a single casting comprising a plate 10 having a semi-circular end 11 and av centrally located opening 12 communicating with an air passageway 13 which establishes communication between the opening 12 and an air intake port 14A/formed in the extension 15 which extension is pivotally mounted between the ears 7. The air hose C extending from beneath the car is attached "by a union 16 to a pipe 17 attached to an elbow 18 which is provided with an extension 19 forming one of the pintles for pivotally mounting one of the interlocking members between the ears 7. The extension 19 has its end provided with screw threads and the opening 14v is screw threaded to receive the screw threads on the extension 19. A pin 20v is mounted in' the opening in the opposite ear 7 and is screw-threadedly mounted in a convenient recess in the portion 15 thereby pivotally mounting the interlocking member between the ears. By observing Fig. 3 of the drawing, it will be noted that aslight play of the portion 15 is permitted between 'the ears 7 so that as `the interlocking memthreads in the opening 14 will force they interlocking member toward one side for a purpose lthat will presently appear. interlocking members are adapted for engagement with each other as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing and each is provided with a space for receiving the plate 10 of the other .member. This space is formed 'by the side guard plate 2l curved outwardly as at 22 to permit ready insertion of the plate 10 when the members are moved into lengagement with each other. A top portion in the casing indicated at 23 integrally formed with the upper edge of the plate 2l and the upper edge of the platr- 10 thereby closing the top of the space between the plates.

Both of the interlocking members which form the head 9 are identical in formation and must be moved into engagement while they are disposed at a relatively slight angle with respect to the horizontal position of the retaining bars as shown in Fi 2 of the drawing. To urge the inter ocking members into this position, an arm 24 is provided on each extension l5 and this arm is movable between depending flanges 25 formed on the retaining bar near the forward end thereof. The lower endsl of the flanges are connected by a cross plate 26 having a central opening through which a pin 27 is extended the inner end of which carries a head 28 engageable with the arm 24 while interposed between the head and the plate 26 is a coil expansion spring 29 normally urging the head upwardly to press against the arm for maintaining the interlocking member in the position shown in Fig. 2 when the coupling members are disconnected.

When the two interlocking members are moved into engagement with each other, when the railway cars are coupled together, they will immediately swing on their pintles and engage each other in the positions shown in Fig. l of the drawing, being then disposed at a relatively sharp angle with respect to the retaining bar. To assume this position, they must swing through an' arc and consequently the screw threaded engagement of the extension 19 with the screw threaded opening, will force the proximate faces of the plates 10 toward each other and these surfaces are faced with rubber gaskets 30 which jam together and provide an air tight connection between the openings 12 in the plates. The centers of the gaskets, of course, are provided with openings for establishing communication. This forcing of the plates together is further augmented vby pressure pins 3l one of which is provided on the inner face of each guard plate 21. The outer face of each plate 10 is provided with an arcuate recess 32 which is also tapered fromits open end to its closed end as shown to A advantage in Figs. 2 and 4. The open end of the arcuate slot or recess is considerably The f depeer than the closed or smaller end thereof, so that the bottom of the recess forms a cam surface engaged by the end of the pressure pin 31. The length of the pin is slightly greater than the depth of the shallow end of the yrecess or slot and the pins are adapted to be received in the open ends of the slots when the two coupling or interlocking members are moved into engagement with each other. When the interlocking members are swung on their pivot, the pins move through the slots and the ends thereof engaging the bottoms of the slots will force the two plates tightly together thereby assisting the threads in performing their function so that a positive air tight engagement of the plates is made. These pins, being received in the slots, will also prevent `accidental or casual disconnection of the two interlocking members until the latter are swung to their lowermost position whereupon the pins may be removed from the open end of the slot.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings have reference to what might be considered to be the preferred or approved form of my invention. I desire it tovbe understood, that I may make such changes in the construction and combination and arrangement of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims. Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l 1. An air hose coupler comprising av pair of intercommunicating coupling members, each including a guard plate having a projecting pressure pin 4extending from one face thereof, each coupling member provided with a slot of a greater depth at its open than at its closed end whereby the said pins may be received in the open ends of the slots and forced into the restricted ends thereof 110 to press the said coupling members toward each other when the said pins are forced into the slots.

2. An air hose coupler comprising a pair of retaining bars, a Y coupling member 115 mounted upon each retaining bar andincluding a plate having an air passage way and an arcuate slot, a guard plate formed on each member and having its inner face provided with a pressure pin adapted for re- 120 ception in the said slot when the said members are moved together, the said members being adapted for pivotal movement when forced into engagement with each other, the said slot being of a greater depth at its open 125 end than at its closed end whereby the said pin will force the said plates toward each other when the members are swung on their pivots.

3, An air hose coupler comprising a pair 130 of retaining bars, mounted'upon each retaining bar and, including a plate having an air passage way and an arcuate slot, a guard plate formed on each member and having its inner face provided with a pressure pin adapted or reception in the said slot when the said members are moved together, the said members being adapted for pivotal movement whenforced into engagement with each other, the said slot being of a greater depth at its open end than at its closed end Whereby the said pin will Jforce the said plates toward each other when the members are swung a coupling member on their pivots, pintles carried by the retain- 15 ing bars for pivotally supporting the said members, each member having openings for the reception of the pintles, one of the openings in each member bein screw threaded and a screw threaded end ormed on one of 20 the pintles for each member to be received in the said screw threaded opening.

In testimony whereof I affix my siginature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR G. WOOD.

Witnesses: A

RICHARD E. SMITH, F. R. GALVERT. 

